2026 Best Value Interior Design Schools in Alabama
[Interior Design](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/interior-design/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for interior design students.
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2026 Best Value Interior Design Schools in Alabama
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the interior design degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Interior Design Schools
Leading the list is The University Of Alabama, our #1 best value for interior design in Alabama. The University Of Alabama is a very large public school located in the city of Tuscaloosa. In-state tuition and fees average $12,180, while out-of-state students pay about $34,172. Interior Design graduates carry a median of $26,505 in student loans. Interior Design graduates of The University Of Alabama earn a median of $44,215 early in their careers. Set against $26,505 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Auburn University earned it the #2 place for interior design. Located in the city of Auburn, Auburn University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,890, compared with $34,922 for out-of-state students. Interior Design graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career interior design graduates make about $46,585. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Auburn University admits about 46% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in interior design will find it at Samford University, which ranked #3. Located in the suburb of Birmingham, Samford University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $40,150. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the interior design program here. Early-career interior design graduates make about $41,323. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
